Rangers Walk To Win
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ARLINGTON, Texas — Comeback victories by the Texas Rangers are rare.
The way the Rangers walked off with a win Tuesday wasn’t typical either.
Adam Rosales’ bases-loaded walk in the 14th inning gave Texas a 3-2 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays on Tuesday night at Globe Life Park.
Texas (47-72) improved to 5-55 when trailing after the sixth inning by rallying from a 2-0 deficit. In winning for just the 12th time in the past 49 games, the Rangers also evened the four-game series at one game apiece.
The Rays (58-61) wasted their second consecutive solid starting pitching performance. One night after Drew Smyly took a shutout into the eighth inning, Jeremy Hellickson didn’t allow a run in his six-inning outing.
However, the Tampa Bay bullpen couldn’t hold the lead. Joel Peralta gave up a two runs in the seventh, and Cesar Ramos (2-5) allowed the winning run by walking first baseman Rosales on four pitches to score pitcher Nick Martinez, who was serving as a pinch runner.
Texas catcher Geovany Soto reached on an error by Rays third baseman
Evan Longoria with one out in the 14th. Martinez replaced Soto on the bases, and second baseman Rougned Odor and right fielder Shin-Soo Choo followed with singles to load the bases.
Shortstop Elvis Andrus popped out to shallow right for the second out, bringing up Rosales with two outs. Ramos missed badly on four pitches to end the longest game in Arlington this season shortly before midnight.
Ramos called the walk “unacceptable” and “embarrassing.”
In addition to the extra-inning heroics, Rangers center fielder Leonys Martin had a career-high four hits. The Texas bullpen also worked seven scoreless innings, with reliever Scott Baker (1-3) earning the win.
“Outstanding,” Texas manager Ron Washington said of his ‘pen. “They did a great job. They really did.”
Tampa Bay broke a 0-0 tie thanks to two triples in the sixth off Texas starter Nick Tepesch. Center fielder Desmond Jennings had the first three-bagger with a shot to right-center before scoring on shortstop Ben Zobrist’s sacrifice fly.
Left fielder Matt Joyce followed with another triple on a ball badly misplayed by Texas right fielder Shin-Soo Choo. The hit went into the corner and ricocheted along the wall past Choo, who normally plays left.
The relay throw to third from second baseman Odor sailed into the stands, allowing Joyce to score easily for a 2-0 lead. Those were the only two runs allowed by Tepesch, who exited after the seventh.
“He was out there competing real hard tonight,” Washington said of Tepesch. “He was able to execute some pitches. He went out there and got us through the seventh and did a heck of a job.”
Martin opened the seventh inning with a single off Peralta, and Soto followed with a double. Odor’s sacrifice fly cut Texas’ deficit to 2-1, and Choo’s double tied the game.
“I didn’t have it tonight,” Peralta said. “They got me.”
The Rays easily could have fallen behind if not for right fielder Kevin Kiermaier gunning down Choo at home after a single by shortstop Elvis Andrus.
Martin nearly put the Rangers up in the eighth with a drive to the wall in center. Jennings caught it on the dead run to end the inning and leave Adrian Beltre stranded at second.
